Sigh

Hello all

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas. Ours was lovely. I also was blessed to see my brother David a few times while he was home. He is a Marine and thankfully he and my brother Christopher are both back from overseas. I hope Chris has time to come home soon so that I can hug him a bunch like I did my brother David.

Now on to the SIGH...... portion of this post. The mechanic who looked at our suburban made a unfortunate mistake. The transmission was indeed having some trouble and now is no more. While before we might have been able to repair and overhaul, now we are looking at a new transmission. SIGH........

Oh well, yes I am frustrated, but we have alot to be thankful for


1. my husbands new job is 5 blocks away and he has a ride, Praise God,

2. the failure happened 2 blocks from home on an okay weather day, Praise God

3. it did not happen Tuesday when we drove an hour away from home and got ice and it took us two and a half hours to get home, that would have really sucked, Praise God

4. We live in a fairly small town so the library and grocery store is not to far away, Praise God

I am not sure when we will be able to get it up and running again, but God has blessed us and always kept us.

Praise God

Have a blessed new year
Hugs
Amy

Blessings

We are all excited at our house. Christmas is just a few days away. We have been reading lots of Christmas books and watching alot of Christmas movies. We had snow last week, but it melted. I am hoping for a white Christmas. I really actually do not like snow all that much too wet and too cold. It sure is pretty though and makes it really fun for Christmas. It has been sooooooo cold here lately. It just feels colder this year to me for some reason. Not sure why, LOL.

Okay now on to the blessing part of the day, : )

A few weeks ago we noticed an odd noise with our car. Without boring everyone with all the technical info, they thought it was the transmission. RATS!!!!! This is always such a pricey thing to fix. Well Friday, my husband and a friend from his new job, drove it down to have it looked at in Newton Ks. I am thinking it was his friend brother who is a mechanic down there who looked at it, anyway.....

He looked it all over and ran some test and they decided that there was nothing wrong with the transmission, yeah. We need new brake pads, no biggie, we need to fix the pipe connecting the catalytic converter to the muffler, which is what was causing the symptoms we were having with our car, and then they noticed the really important thing, a freeze plug was leaking and needed to be replaced. Highly important not as pricey as the transmission.

So it is in the shop as we speak getting that replaced, so we should have a car we can drive for some last minute shopping I need to do, and for the best part visiting family and friends. Yeah!!!! I am so thankful!

Well better run, I got alot to do today.

Hugs
Merry Christmas
Amy

Christmas is coming....

However no goose is getting fat for our house, LOL. We do not eat much in the way of any feather friends besides turkey and chicken. I am working hard on the Christmas presents and hope to get them finished soon. I love Christmas. My hubby's new job is going well. He likes the people and schedule so that's good. Big downer this week the car is acting up, geesh...... I just don't understand why we can't have everything working at once, LOL. Oh well God never promised me a smooth road, so hey we just keep on going. I hope everyone has a wonderful week.

Hugs
Merry Christmas
Amy

Christmas and puppies

We are still getting ready for Christmas here. Mixing up more cookie dough and working on crafty type gifts, LOL. I have re listed the puppies in the newspaper and online. I have reduced prices due to the way the world and economy is now and would just like to find the puppies good homes. Schnauzers make such lovely family pets. They are usually easy to train and have loads of fun playing with you. Anyway, I hope everyone has a lovely week.

 

Merry Christmas

Hugs

Amy

Getting ready for Christmas

I am still without a computer. I am glad I as able to set up more things to be done by email. We have been busy finishing up the decorating at our house. I wish I could share pictures, alas, I can not. If I get computer up and running soon I will. We have started mixing up cookie dough and freezing it so that it is ready to bake right before Christmas. I also have shredded zucchini and mashed bananas in the freezer as well frozen in the correct sized amounts per recipe. They freeze great and then can just be let to set out for 30 min or so and then added to the recipe and baked fresh. Saves time when you are trying to bake large amounts in a short period of time.
 
My family is having our annual Christmas get together and we will be doing a gift exchange as usual. this year we decided on homemade things and gift baskets one for each family from each family. As my family reads my blog, I can not share what I am doing for Christmas, LOL. My brother David should be home for Christmas. Christopher and Niki will not be able to make it for Christmas although we are hoping that they will be here sometime in January.
 
I hope everyone has a lovely week.
Merry Christmas
Hugs
Amy

Computer troubles, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Okay I am not sure when I will have a working computer at home again. Mine finally gave up and the thought is that it is the board. GRRRRRRRR Bad time of year. I had alot I wanted to post. A wonderful friend is letting me use her computer tonight to post, but the library computers will not let me access blogger. I can access myspace, which has lots of "fabulous" pictures and songs on it, but can't access my blogger account, geesh. Hey wait I might be able to set it up to post by email. I shall have to check that. So if you here from me again soon, like early next week. You'll know the email trick worked. I hope everyone is enjoying getting ready for Christmas. I know I am. We decorated the high ledges and around door ways, and we have a lovely 8 foot tall Frasier Fir tree. The are pretty inexpensive at Lowes. I hope to be able to share more soon.

Hugs and Merry Christmas
Amy

We have been busy!!

A birthday gift from my Mother. She knows how I love teapots and this one is wonderful!!

My son Jonathan's 17Th birthday cake. He designed it. He wanted the leaf shape for fall.

Birthday cake for a friends little girls 2ND birthday!!

The front porch.

Some snowflakes it snowed for the first time here. It did not stick, but that's okay I can wait a little longer.

Snow!!!

More snow!!

Our mailbox, I think it looks pretty!!

Our mini Christmas tree forest!!

I love this time of year! We have been decorating slowly over the last few days. I am hoping to finish early this week. I hope everyone had a delightful Thanksgiving. We spent it with my family in Wichita. There were 18 of us. Plus my brother in law David had his laptop and web cam out and so did my brother Christopher in Arizona so we could see my brother Chris and his wife Niki and my brother David. I am hoping they will be home for Christmas. We sure miss them. I am so very thankful they both are home safe from overseas! Praise God.

I am so looking forward to Christmas. No matter what is under the tree, we have each other and we are safe and together and that is what counts. We have already been given the best present ever the birth of Christ and the forgiveness given to us all.
I am hoping to try to get something together to do something for the people in the retirement home here. The church we attended before made these token trips to a few of them, practically running through the halls belting out a few carols and then running out the door.

It finally struck me as this was just not right 3 places in an hour???? We were not connecting with anyone. We did not stop and say hi or visit with anyone. This just made us feel as if we did something nice. I am actually kind of embarrassed by it now. If I do nothing more I plan to take my kiddos and some handmade cards as well as some goodies for the nurses and hand deliver them. Take some time to say hi and visit.

I hope everyone enjoys this Christmas season and can spend time with family and friends remembering the true reason for the season as well as having all the fun that can be found this time of year!!

Merry Christmas
Hugs
Amy

Busy Busy Busy......

We have been so busy this week, between test for kiddos, the thieving landlady, and sorting through the front garage, we have been busy.

I do not do loads of "test" with our homeschooling, but this week we have been having a few, just want to make sure we are heading the right direction. So far so good, whoohoooo. I have had long weeks lately with uncooperative kiddos. I did actually threaten public school to my two middle schoolers this week. Mom had a bad week and they were not helping. They declined and behaved a bit better. Thankfully, the two youngest still have some frustrating days. Handwriting is not my two youngest favorite thing to do, in fact one moaned to dad that it was torture, LOL.

Ahh now on to the thieving landlady. I mentioned previously about the ceiling fans being removed, now this week she came and removed the wood stove, that the previous owner put in and "replaced" replaced it with a old gas heater. There is no gas hookup. Oh, and removed the duct work and left a nice hole to the outside. Yup, she did. We told her we used the wood stove to keep the gas bill down, but did she care, nope she has a wood burning stove in her house out by the lake. She just removed this one and moved it across the street into a storage unit.

Oh, and while we were gone sometime in the last week, they came into the fenced backyard, to the garage we have a lock on and our belongings in and pried the bottom hinge off of a side door and unlocked it and went in and removed an electric heater that was connected in the garage. All wired in with a thermostat and everything. She was also here last week removing other things from outside the house while we were gone. I have had about as much as I can take and fully intend to give a detailed list to the lawyers for the bank about the items she has removed. I have no intention of being blamed for theft.

We are moving all of the stuff we have stored in the attached garage to the back garage and so that I can track down all of my Christmas stuff. I am also throwing out stuff while going through it. I have so many clothes for all of these kids alot grown out of, that I could open a store. Geesh... I plan on making sure that the side door is no longer accesible. I plan to temp nail a board over the whole door. It is a short door. And then I plan to move my big chest freezer in front of the door. Let's see her get in then!! Anyway, I love Christmas so much and plan to decorate eerything. I will share pictures as I get it done. I have a bunch of tiny trees to decorate each room in the house, plus garland and tons of lights, and candle lights for all of the windows, then a big tree for the family room. I love Christmas!!!!

Hope ya'll have an awesome weekend.
Hugs
Amy

Veterans Remembered

I hope that today, everyone can take some time to stop and remember those who have fought for our freedom and our rights. Freedoms that so many take for granted, not thinking of the cost, that some have paid for us to have them. So many have died so that all of us have the right to whine and complain about our government and what we think is wrong without us having to worry that we may have to pay a terrible price for saying these things. I am thankful everyday for the heroic men and women who make these sacrifices so that my children, my family, and my country is safe. God bless those who have gone before and God bless those who, like my brothers are fighting for our freedoms now. And let us remember that no matter what your beliefs are and where you stand on things, these men and women fight for us all. Not just those who are proud of them and support them. That's the way it has always been. Thank you Veterans, you have made us proud.

Why oh why am I never happy or the post better known as I am a whinny wimpy freezy toes, LOL

You know it seems like I am comfortable for such a short period of each year, LOL. Lets start in January, I sound something like this, man when will spring get here. I miss spring, I love spring, I am so tired of being cold. I hate cold, oh and just so you understand the true extent of my whinniness, I thought I was freezing growing up in Modesto California, LOL. Then finally spring has sprung, I am so happy, spring is here lalalalalala, tip toeing through the tulips lallalalalal!!! Then comes heat rotten dreaded heat way way too soon. And with the heat comes HUMIDITY, remember it's not the heat it's the humidity, oh yeah and again growing up in the "dry" heat of Modesto California, I whined there too, man it's sooooo hotttttt......... When can fall get here, stupid summer seems to take longer each year, I could so cook an egg on the sidewalk, I could probably bake cookies in the suburban, just let me pop a couple of sheets of the suckers in, what we are out of ice, come one you have got to be kidding no ice, man why can't fall get here I miss fall, I love fall, all the colors, the cooler temperatures, sigh....... Hip Hip Hooray fall, I love fall it is so nice and cool. The red leaves on the trees, the crisp air, yummy apples, pumpkin pies, pumpkin carving, trick or treating with the kiddos, fall is awesome, whats this the temperature took a nose dive, man I hate the cold, I don't want it to be cold, how about just some cold and snow right around Christmas, I mean Christmas without cold and snow would be dumb, but we really don't need it for the rest of winter do we??? WHY?????? My toes are cold, my fingers are cold, my nose is cold, I am SO COLD, whaaaaaaa...... Man I wish spring would get here, Christmas is over I am ready for spring............. etc etc etc..... LOL

Okay granted I don't say most of this out loud, well at least not in public, LOL. But you would think I could just accept the fact that seasons change and that we need every one of them, which I know we do. And yes a good hard freeze and cold winter means less bugs, which is good for A. the farmers, B. Me, and C. Everyone else, LOL, hahahhaahhah Just kidding there..


I do know that there is a time and season for everything and that means winter, spring, summer and fall as well.

Ecclesiastes 3
A Time for Everything
1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,

3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,

4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,

5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,

7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,

8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.


Okay so maybe I will try harder to just accept the different temperatures and perhaps, just perhaps, I will not whine so much, at least not where anyone can here me..........




Shhhhhh............













I am so cold.............

Wandering around Marion Ks

Isn't the red lovely, I just adore the colors in autumn!!

Now isn't it interesting how you can take a picture of the same stretch of trail(both the pic above this and below) from two different directions, and it hardly looks the same


My middle kiddo David and I were in Marion today and decided to take a little "hike" and explore around the park. It is fairly short, but different then just walking around concrete, kinda nice, a bit of a stream off to the left, there is a bigger "river" or creek around the corner, but I just could not find a spot that was what I wanted for a picture...

Steps down to a little spring area. Kinda cool! I would like an area like this in my backyard!!

A bit of the little "waterfall"

In appreciation of Paul Brooker, not sure who he is, but he helped get this little area cleaned up in honor of his father.

Waterfall from a bit farther back.

My kiddo forging the way! Checking out the area.....

This is a picture if a building I have watched them restore in Marion. I noticed them working on it quite awhile ago and now they have the lovely doors and wonderful new paint on the woodwork. As you can you can see below it is a lovely old sandstone I believe, that has been refurbished. I am so glad when they do this as opposed to just tearing old buildings down.

Just for info's sake this pics posted backwards in the order I wanted them. Not sure what is up with that now. I will have to remember that next time, a blogger glitch or something. Who knows, no biggie.

Fall has hit again, but for how long???

We have had a cold wind blow in again this evening, had some rain bursts, and a bit of lightning. The weather has been warm, but cooling off at night. We are looking at 60's tomorrow. I am feeling the need to decorate for the season. I so love all of the holidays. Now onto other things.

I had a post already last night, I was frustrated with the decisions our nation has made lately. I have decided not to post that one as it was a knee jerk reaction that was let's say a bit angry at the choices so many have made. So I will say, I am glad that our nation has risen to a point where a man of any race can be elected president, this is a wonderful thing. I am just sorry that this man was the one. I think his stand on so many things will be a terrible thing for our country. I think those who are struggling now will be finding things ever so much harder with the agenda this man has. We shall see.

However, God knows what he is doing and we can trust God in everything. God can change hearts and work on anyone. We need to remember to pray for the leadership of our country, our state, our county and our city. They all need prayer, heck we all do.


Amy

Busy making cards

Okay thought I would mention that yes I know the photography leaves alot to be desired in this post, LOL. I was in a hurry. I needed to mail out these cards to the winners of the giveaway. They are much straighter in person, LOL

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

I know with alot of people chose not to celebrate Halloween. We have always chosen to let the kids dress up and go trick or treating. We have always had fun. Well this year I did let them dress up a bit scarier then ever before, yes you do see a whole pack of skeletons, my hubby too he is just not in the pic, a pumpkin boy, a wanderer, and Brea dressed as a princess, LOL. I told the kids next year we are doing the cast of the Wizard of Oz, we'll have flying monkey dogs, a witch dog and Glenda the good witch dog, plus my daughter as Dorothy, 2 members of the Lollipop Guild, the lion, scarecrow, and the tin man. I think it will be awesome. Now I just gotta convince the kids.

Vanity Plates

You know vanity plates can be fun, they can tell you alot about someone even such as these next few

2 3PAIR Too(th r)epair...get it? On a dentist's car

2PCME To pee, see me! Urologists plate

2TH DR On a dentist's car

6 KIDS On a Chevy Suburban in Utah

BAA BAA Baa Baa 'on a ' Black Jeep

BYMYHNY Buy my honey, a beekeeper

DR IBALZ An optometrist's plate

I found all of these online and thought they were kinda cute, one of the teachers one of my sons had in Kindergarten her plate said 5Kolas which was their last name and how many there were, makes sense. Today however, I came up behind one and frankly it made me mad. It read

BETERNU

What kind of person puts that on their car. I mean come on. Where do you get enough gall not to mention the nasty attitude to put that on your car. I don't care who my parents are, how much money I have, what I drive, where I live, or how stunning I was, I would never put that on my car. I just can not imagine why anyone would.

Another thing even if someone actually thought they were better then you, one would hope that they would have enough class to not slap something as rude as that on their car. That perhaps they would at least have enough decency to appear as if they were nice. I mean I would not want people to think I was stuck on myself this way, but then I like people and enjoy being around them and always smile at people, cause you never know who might need that today, I guess that's me though.

Does this person go to church?? I would not have the guts to drive that into a church parking lot. NTNRML sure, why not, I would drive around with that one, I do not claim to be normal, LOL, I like myself this way God made me after all!!!

And I know, yes, not everyone is church going, God fearing etc. But seriously with an attitude like this one it sure does not allow for finding new friends, or being accessible in any way to those who may need us. What a shame...........

Well I need to take my NTNRML self of to the store. I hope everyone has a delightful fall day.
Hugs
Amy

When no one is safe

As you all know I posted last year about all the nonsense going on with the Kansas Milkmaid. She has been blessed with the custody of her kids and has moved on and has a good life with her kids. Praise God for a judge who has eyes and intelligence. As the DA in that county leaves so much to be desired.

I have continued to be so angry about the fact the in this county, this state, this country or this world, women, children, and those who can not help themselves are not safe. I have been witness to another tragic divorce where the police were called in by the wife, he has had felony convictions, he has threatened and harassed the family through phone calls sometimes upward of 30 calls in one night, that I have heard, has called up repeatedly drunk and while the child was visiting hit him while he was on the phone with his mother when the child told his mom that his dad had been smoking I believe.

A man who has lied to police and filed false reports. All of this mans older children have issues they have even told their teachers that their dad was dead. This children are all known liars, and yet a judge in Georgia pretty much took this man and his kids words copied exactly what his lawyer wrote as far as what he wanted for custody and holidays and gave him custody of a 5 year old little boy. I would like to know who paid who off. They are fighting it and she filed for a PFA who knows how this will turn out.

And then there is the little boy that someone kidnapped in Nevada because of something his grandpa might have done, then Jennifer Hudson's tragic circumstances and now her 7 year old nephew has been found shot to death. When did it become okay even to criminals to kill children because of what someone else did. And as to an insanity plea for people who have kidnapped and murder children. Frankly I feel that goes without saying, aren't they all CRAZY????? They should be locked up, I don't care how unstable they are cause you would have to be to do this stuff.

And I have a friend who works in a rest home in the dementia ward she has witnessed callous treatment, people not rubbing lotion into their skin to soothe it, people not using wipes on people who have soaked and adult diaper, people not changing gloves after cleaning up BM accidents and then moving into a clean area and touching things. When did it become okay to sit by and treat those most helpless as nothing, but a hassle. Also is was told about how the new management of a program/company/whatever for the disabled in McPherson has fudged on reports and changed dates and generally not followed rules.

Has everyone lost their sense of right and wrong?? Why do cases get dropped, why do DA's hang up on desperate mothers try to get help, why are there not tougher penalties against the people who hurt the defenseless, why do DA's drop charges when there has been a confession even. WHY DO WE ALL STAND FOR IT????????

Hmmmmmm

This last week has been long. Oh so long. LOL On Tuesday a man came to our door saying he was a handyman for the woman who owns this house. He wants to come by @ 8:00 am on Thursday to take out two ceiling fans and a garage door. Okay, now I let my younger kids sleep in until they are ready to get up. As we home school we have the older kids get up earlier and get going on their day, and then as the kiddos get up they eat and get going.

Yeah, I know alot different then most, but it works for us. Well, he is a no show on Thursday. After putting our entire day on hold, we finally call the owner late that afternoon. We are told he might still come by that evening or the next morning. Well, next day same song same verse, later that day we call and are told a family emergency came up okay I understand that, but seriously if she knew why did she not call. We are told Monday he will be here.

So Saturday Tony had practice, and I drove to a friends house and picked pears. She blessed us with 14 walmart bags fully loaded with pears. We stopped and visited with some friends and did not get home until 11:30 pm. The next day we had a busy day, and I planned to process all my pears Monday afternoon. Well the gentleman shows up around 10:00 am and he gets one ceiling fan done and then takes a break, he comes back takes the other, and then says he has to go out to put those in in the owners house and will let us know if there is another light that needs exchanging and also about the garage door.

He comes back later and tells us he can not do anything until he gets ahold of her, as she was not there. No one informed us that he planned to come back today. This afternoon he shows up to not only remove a large fenced in covered thing out of the backyard, and the garage door, he also wants to come inside and check out about moving the water softener out of the house. I have just started to get ready processing the pears as I never got the time to do it on Monday.

So know instead I clean up and wait while he inspects it. I know we are no longer paying the house payments, but come one we still are living here. So for 4 days we are held up and can accomplish nothing that needs done as we need to keep the kiddos out of the way and the house neat enough for someone to be here. GRRRRRRRRRRRR Yes I am frustrated. At least after this she should be done stripping away things from the house. Perhaps I can get the pears done tonight. Sigh..........

Downs Syndrome Girl Wins Homecoming Queen

Many of you may have seen this on this ABC news earlier this month, but I did not, as I currently have no TV reception, sigh. Trying to bring down expenses, oh well. Anyway, this is a sweet story. As a parent of a downs syndrome child, it is so awesome to me to see this story about another child who is not only accepted, but is loved enough to be nominated. This story made me sniffle. Enjoy!! Oh yes you'll need to pause the music at the bottom of the page to hear this.

I hope everyone has an awesome weekend. It's looking to be chilly still for us. The dogs and puppies are not enjoying the chilly damp toes and legs when having to take those trips outside.

Happy Fall Y'all ; )
Hugs
Amy

A nice fall evening

We have had some lovely fall evenings over the last few weeks. The kiddos and I went out and took a few pics. I will miss our yard when we have to move. I know God knows our needs and can give us an even better backyard. I am still not sure how a cafe or whatever will work into our lives. I have not sold the puppies yet, although I have not pushed it yet, as I could not afford to get all the registrations sent in until late, and so I am still waiting. I keep trying to figure out what I can sell to make money. Oh well, God knows. I just gotta keep waiting and being patient and trusting him. I am gonna go watch the New Indiana Jones movie. My hubby and I grew up watching those. So we of course must watch the new one. I have been told the old ones are alot better, but if you liked those you have to see the new one. So I guess we will see. I hope everyone has a wonderful night. Nighty Night!!!!

Happy Sunday

Today has been a slow day. We have not done much, LOL. Chores and meals and movies. Oh well that's okay. I realized that with having a such a variety of ages that we have not watched as many of the Disney movies aimed for much younger kids in awhile. So we rented the Heffulumps Halloween (Winnie the Pooh), and Robin Hood the one with the fox you know the early Disney movie. The little guys loved them. When I can I want to purchase more of the Disney DVDs.

It is breezy here and kinda warm today. Around 70 so we are using the clothes line to dry laundry today. We did this all summer, but it had cooled down and kinda gotten wet here for a bit, but today is an okay day for drying laundry. I am still trying to keep the bills down. It is amazing to me how expensive things are anymore. Although praise God, gas is down to 2.49 here where I live. YEAH!!!!!

I have been having lots of fun making cards with all the gals, and doing some up for orders. I have an order for sock monkey cards that I need to get working on. I also need to get more Christmas cards finished. I plan to get the cards mailed out to the winners here shortly. I still have not heard from one gal, I will need to email I think. I am planning on another giveaway soon. I also have lots of ideas for Christmas and am going to try to get them all done. Here's hoping, LOL. I hope everyone has a delightful Sunday afternoon.

Hugs
Amy

17 years today!

Could we been much younger in this picture??? Today my darling hubby and I have been married for 17 years. It just does not seem like it has been that long. We got married at 18 years in Modesto, California. It just seems like yesterday that I was decorating the cake, and my mom and our good neighbor Laurie were decorating the sanctuary. My hubby had brought me a chocolate croissant from the bakery he worked at and that is what I had for breakfast. We picked up the extra sheet cakes at Costco a couple of hours before, and we ran into an older gentleman from our church, he served samples there. He told me we had better hurry, LOL. A lovely lady named from our church, Debby Boling sang one of the songs at the wedding. Sigh......... I am so blessed to have married him and I love him even more today then I did then. I have been blessed.

The Winners Are

The winners of the card giveaway are........... a drum roll please............ LOL

Aunt Jenny and Carrie-Gigi. Congrats!!! Thanks ladies for entering. Let me know which of the options I mentioned before, you would prefer. Thanks!!!

I forgot GASP

I am sorry I forgot to draw a name yesterday. Things just got busy the past couple of days. I will draw one tomorrow. And then will let that person know.
Hugs
Amy

The lamest thing I have encountered in a long time

Today I called the phone company to make sure that a company, who was not supposed to be on my bill, who had added something to my bill a long time ago had been removed and the money refunded. Now if that sentence did not just make you crazy, LOL. This next bit of info might. Well yes this had all been taken care of so there was only 18 dollars left and apparently that was now due immediately. Well, I said can I pay that on Friday? I forgot that I had funds in the bank. They said well now as you broke your payment agreement last month. WHAT???? I said they said the payment agreement I had made last month which was I would pay 52.00 on Friday and 52.00 the next Friday.

It ended up that I had enough the first Friday to pay the whole thing, so I called in and paid it. Well, since I did not follow the terms of my payment agreement, but had in fact paid it completely and early, I broke the agreement. So will not wait till Friday which is 2 days away for the payment. I was astounded. I was like this is nuts, you would think that a company would be happy that I paid the whole amount and early, but nope it broke a pay agreement. I said again that this is ridiculous and she said well it's not just you it's everyone.

Oh my gosh this is one of the dumbest thing I have ever heard. Then I remembered wait I have some money in the bank I can pay this so it is paid and everything is okay, but good grief. Can you imagine???

FALL!!!!!

Oh my goodness we have had such lovely weather. I so enjoy fall. The crisp freshness of the air, the colors in the trees, apples, pumpkins, etc... My kids have even gotten into the fall spirit. My 13 and 12 year olds put out a fresh table cloth and filled a basket with fall colored leaves for the middle. I purchased some more fall "scented" candles, pumpkin, apple pie, gingerbread, mmmmmmmmmmm. Which incidentally the dollar store has some of these scents of candles in cute little mason jars for 1.00. I love to have things smelling good and looking pretty. We may not have much longer here, but I plan to enjoy it.

Fall like spring also seems to goad me into doing a bit of extra clean up. We straightened out some closets this week, the washroom, and my bedroom. I had so many magazines and books under my bed and one of the dogs awhile back had crawled under neath there and so my bed looked as if it was throwing up books and magazines. So my husband took the mattresses off and I packed all the books in a couple of boxes that fit under there and stacked the magazines in between the boxes. So now my room is so much neater. I also reorganized my craft and stamping area, which out of the desire to keep all of my things together, must be in my room. So now I can get to making all those cards for the giveaway. ; )

Since we are homeschooling, I have given the kids an art project, a fall picture, I remember in the 7th grade doing a picture out of dots of colored paper, you know circles punched out with a hole punch. My middle schoolers have been given the task of making some sort of fall picture using this technique. They are a bit iffy on it as all my kids love to draw and so doing this is not quite what they had in mind, but I figure using new ideas and different techniques is good for all of them.

We are still heading toward a cafe etc.... I am not sure how it is going to work, but we are heading that way until we get the door closed. I figure God knows whats best, so????

As to my anxiety. I am doing okay, I have been doing alot of reading in my Bible, praying and remembering to take my herbs. I take black cohash which let me tell you is very helpful to us women, ; ) Also ginko, and since St. Johns wart and I can't go outside, I had to stop that awhile ago. It helped my but I became a lobster if I left the house. But anyway, I am okay. God has got me, I may still head into some valleys, but I am sure that God well help me back up into the sunlight on the hills. So thank you for all of your prayers.

I will draw the name for the giveaway sometime on Saturday. You all that have entered have a pretty good shot, as not many entered this time. Last fall I had bunches, but that's okay. I have not been consistent in my posting so have not had the readership that I had before. Oh well!!! ; )

I hope everyone has a good rest of their week. I am looking forward to the weekend. Not sure why just am. Be Blessed everyone.
Hugs
Amy

We have posted new puppy pics!

We have new pictures posted of the puppies. This little guys is our tiniest puppy. he is about half the size of the other guys one of his sisters is not too much bigger then he is. He is just a sweetie, he kept climbing up on my feet and my sons legs to get higher up. Guess he wanted to be the tallest. He just had a blast outside running around and playing. Check out the other new pics on the Amore Schnauzer puppy page. The link is over on the right!!

Struggling with anxiety

I have been having some of "those" days again, sigh. Not sure why, but every so often I struggle with some days of worry. The clock is counting down. Sigh.... My husband still has not been able to find a job, and he has put in loads of applications. I have 3 weeks until all the puppies could be sold, but with the way things are I am worried about them selling. I plan to take the funds from the puppies and open a cafe/bakery/etc, LOL..... We want to be able to have a steady income that is not reliant on my husbands back, which frankly has issues. This is something I have wanted to do and the option is there, so I am praying and working toward it. I am really working at trusting God and even when this anxiety attacks happen I deal with them by praying and just trusting God. I am working on getting everything I want done in the cafe, etc, written down and to have plans. SO if y'all wouldn't mind please add me to your prayers.

Thanks a bunch
Hugs
from Me

Staynlis was in San Angelo, Texas last week.

The stage........ not sure exactly how tall but as you can see it was HUGE!!!!

Tony on drums(not his set), Craig filling in on the bass, Wade on the guitar

Josh on the guitar, Shawn on vocals, Tony on drums, and Craig on bass

Josh, Shawn, Wade, Tony

Josh and Shawn.....

Staynlis met alot of great people and had an awesome time. They were interviewed on TV as well as the radio. They enjoyed watching and hanging out with the other bands like, Cutlass, SuperChick, Stellar Kart, Day of Fire, and others. Oh, I also heard that the catered BBQ was to die for. Sorry I don't know who provided it. All in all an awesome time was held by all, LOL

My Brothers fight for your freedom and one is now safely home yeah!!!!!

Praise God my brother is home safe. I was unable to be there. However, my sister and brother-in-law, neice parents and youngest brother were there. They said he looks good and everyone was happy to be there. I am sure all of those Marines in the back of the picture as well as their families are happy as can be as well. Now we are just waiting on my other brother Chris. He is due to be home next month. Praise God again. God is good!!!